Learning from the Past
by Lord Darth Master
Summary: What if Yoda had been the one to confront Palpatine during ROTS? What would happen when Anakin tried to stop him? Knowing that he cannot stop the darkness inside of Anakin, Yoda sends him back in time to the one Jedi who may be able to Revan.
1. A Blast to the Past

**Learn from the Past**

**Chapter I: A Blast to the Past**

Yoda smirked as the Sith Lord backed away from him in fear. He stood just beside the beaten old man, lightsaber blazing by his neck. Palpatine looked terrified. Anakin Skywalker came crashing into the room and saw the small alien threatening his friend. "Anakin!" Palpatine called. "I told you it would come to this! I was right! The Jedi are planning on taking over!"

"Lied to, you have been, young Skywalker," Yoda told Anakin. "Betrayed the Republic, the chancellor has!"

"No Anakin!" Palpatine cried. "The Jedi have betrayed the Republic!"

Yoda and Palpatine could both sense the conflict coursing through Anakin. Both knew that they must act fast in order to secure the boy on their respective sides. "Anakin," Palpatine said softly. "I need your help."

"See through his lies, you must!" Yoda cried. "Staged the Clone Wars he did! Millions of deaths he is responsible for!"

"Let him go, Yoda!" Anakin ordered, clenching his fists. Yoda's ears sagged as he saw that Anakin had chosen the Sith over the Jedi. Yoda leapt away from the chancellor as Anakin came at him with his lightsaber. "Duel me you would, young Skywalker? Fail you will," Yoda warned.

The small alien leapt at Anakin, saber raised. Anakin braced himself and began drawing on the Force to augment his speed. It wasn't enough though. Master Yoda was far more powerful than he was. He had nearly a thousand years more experience than Anakin and it was obvious.

Yoda's lightsaber nicked Anakin's shoulder, causing him to fall back in pain. The Jedi Knight cried out and clenched his teeth, but left the small wound alone. He knew that if he took his focus off of Master Yoda for even a second he would be dead. The small alien leapt at his opponent, tackling him hard. Anakin slammed into the couch in the office and went rolling. His lightsaber went rolling as he landed on the ground.

Yoda deactivated his lightsaber and put it back inside his robes. With a sorrowful expression, he began to walk towards Anakin. He picked up the young Jedi's weapon and dropped it on the ground before him. Anakin tried to grab it with his mechanical arm, but Yoda glared at it and the machine melted away.

"Another Jedi such as yourself there was, young Skywalker," Yoda told him. "Powerful he was. Fell to the dark side, such as yourself. In time, redemption found him and saved he was. Learn from him, you must!"

With that, Yoda began to channel all of his mental energies and threw them at Anakin. The Jedi screamed in pain as images began to burn in his mind. He saw two fleets preparing to clash. An enormous space station was draining the energy of a nearby star behind one of the fleets. On board, a man fought hard against a woman wielding a double-bladed lightsaber. She was dressed in black robes, while he wore traditional Jedi garments.

"I see now why Malak followed you. Even though you are only a shell of your former self, you are still a formidable opponent," the woman said as the battle broke for a moment. "I can't even imagine the power you must have wielded as the Dark Lord. You were a fool to give it up and follow the light side."

"You've been consumed by the dark side, Bastila! Can't you see it's destroying you?" he said urgently, trying to avoid any further conflict.

"The dark side has made me stronger than I ever was before! I have a greater command of the Force than all but the most powerful Jedi Masters!" she boasted with a sick smile. "As Malak teaches me the greatest secrets of the Sith, I will unlock more of my potential! Eventually there will be no limit to what I can accomplish with the Force!"

"Malak will never let you become that powerful. He'll kill you first," the man said with an exasperated sigh.

"Have you forgotten the ways of the Sith already, Revan?" she asked him. "Eventually I will challenge my master. If I am worthy he die by my hands and I will become the new Sith Master!" she explained. "Then I will take on my own apprentice and the cycle will begin again. This is the way of the Sith. It is how we assure our leaders are always the strongest and most worthy."

"You're dooming yourself to an endless cycle of death and betrayal," the man said sadly.

"No Revan," she spat. "It is you who are doomed!"

The woman, Bastila leapt at her opponent, Revan and the battle began again. The images burned in Anakin's mind. He felt as if his head would explode. Every sound was amplified to the point where his mind would throb every time he heard it. The clash of their lightsabers was agony. Their battle grunts were torture. He thought he would die if he kept watching, but Revan got in a lucky shot and kicked Bastila in the stomach, sending her sliding back. The sheer force of the blow shocked Anakin, but now he couldn't look away.

"You are growing weary," she said unexpectedly. "I can sense it! Your strength falters. The light side is failing you, while the power of the Star Forge re-energizes me! Soon this will be over!"

"I have not faltered, Bastila. You have been misled by the dark side," Revan replied calmly.

"The dark side will always triumph over the light!" she screamed. "Malak has assured me victory! You can't defeat me here on the Star Forge! YOU CAN'T!"

She leapt at him again, swinging her blade wildly. This time the pain wasn't so bad for Anakin. Revan seemed to have the upper hand and Bastila was weakening. Her strikes were sluggish and getting slower. She began to lash out wildly as desperation overtook her. Revan saw an opportunity and took it. He sliced Bastila's lightsaber in half, shattering the delicate crystal within. The fight was over.

"No!" she whispered in horror. "This is not possible! You have rejected the dark side. You are a weak and pathetic servant of the light. How can you still stand against me? Why can't I defeat you?"

"Now you see that the dark side isn't stronger than the light," Revan said with triumph.

"Yes," she admitted slowly. "I see you speak the truth. I am no match for you." She was silent for a long moment before looking up. "Please, for the sake of what we once shared, do not make me suffer! End my life quickly! There is no other way!"

Revan was shocked by her sudden request. He shook his head and deactivated his lightsabers, throwing them down. "I could never kill you, Bastila," he said emotion leaking into his voice. Anakin was stunned. The pain in his voice was obvious. He sounded so helpless. Anakin could relate. This man had to kill the woman he loved, where it seemed Anakin would be forced to let his love die.

"What other choice do you have?" she asked. "I have fallen to the dark side! I am the apprentice of the Dark Lord himself! You cannot let me live!"

"You can reject the dark side, Bastila. Return to the light!"

"No," she whispered. "I'm not strong enough. There is too much anger inside of me now; too much hatred and fear. I can no longer find peace in the Force."

"Use our bond then! Take strength from me!" he insisted as he stepped closer to her.

"You always had more strength than I did," she said thoughtfully. "I told you that. I felt so… helpless before your destiny. You were Revan and I couldn't tell you. It was agonizing! Even worse when I began to feel closer to you. I despised myself for it!" Bastila looked as if she was about to start crying. All of her will power was fighting against it. She finally broke down as Revan took another step towards her and embraced her closely. She began to sob relentlessly into his chest. After a moment she regained control of herself and forced herself to continue speaking. "And even now, I feel your strength… it does help me. Thank you. I think I can face the end… if you are the one who ends it for me."

"I love you Bastila. I can't abandon you… ever," he whispered in her ear.

She looked up into his eyes, questioningly. "You love me?" She began to laugh ruefully. "There was a time when I yearned for and yet dreaded those words. I… I loved you too but I could never face who you were." A sudden realization dawned on her. "Malak knew how I felt. Any part of the light within me would be extinguished when I killed you!" Suddenly, anger welled up inside her. She pushed him away from her and turned her back to him. "But what good it love?" she demanded. "It cannot save me from the sea of blackness I am drowning in! I have betrayed everything I ever believed in. How can I atone for that?"

"Help us to defeat the Sith, Bastila. This will atone for what you have done!" he said as he came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I could join you in your fight against the Dark Lord," she said considering the option. "That alone would not make up for all I have done, but it would be a step in the right direction." She turned around to face him again. "But how would you be able to trust me? How do you know I wouldn't turn on you when you face Darth Malak? How do you know the dark side wouldn't make me betray you again?"

Revan used the Force and called one of his lightsabers back to his hand. He tossed it to Bastila and spread his arms. "I trust you enough to leave myself open to your attack, Bastila."

Anakin gasped. How could this man, Revan, be such a fool! He was a Jedi! She was a Sith! She should kill him in a heartbeat… but she didn't.

"You play a dangerous game… are you sure you want to take this risk?" she asked. "I could end your life and gain Malak's favor with a single stroke of this lightsaber."

"You won't, Bastila. I love and believe in you," he said with confidence.

"You are brave," she said, clearly impressed. "And some would say foolish… but you are also right. The dark side has not fully consumed me. I can't raise my blade against you." She paused, considering which words to say next. "You will go on to defeat Malak. I have no doubt of this. You will have gone from being the Sith Lord himself to the savior of the galaxy… This may not be the best time to say it, but I love you too; with all my heart."

"You aren't afraid to love anymore?" Revan asked with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around her.

"After this?" she snorted. "No. Nothing could make me feel safer than to be loved by you."

Revan bent down slowly and gently kissed Bastila on the lips. She gasped at first, but soon returned the kiss with gentle passion. Anakin felt a twinge of remorse as he thought of Padme. These two were so similar to the two of them. Why was it that this man could save this woman, yet he couldn't save his wife? It wasn't fair!

Suddenly, the scene before Anakin was ripped from his mind. All he could see was an endless white abyss. His mind began to go blank as he slowly began to lose awareness of his surroundings. The white abyss suddenly turned black as Anakin passed out.

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Anakin groaned slightly as a throbbing headache hit him. He didn't open his eyes, but rather tried to find peace within the Force to soothe his head. It didn't work. The pain wouldn't go away. It was as if there was no place in the Force where he could find serenity. What was wrong? Even in the darkest centers of the galaxy he had been able to find peace. The area around him didn't even feel tainted. It felt… cold.

_Space. _He thought dully.

As he began to listen, he could hear the light noises of a ship around him. A nearby computer was beeping and he thought he could hear the distinct sounds of someone typing. He slowly tried to sit up, but the pounding in his head over powered him and he fell back with a grunt of pain.

"He's awake," a gruff old voice said quickly. "Mission, go get Juhani in here!"

"Yes sir," a younger more energetic voice replied.

Anakin could hear the distinct sound of boots clanging against metal as the girl left the room. He slowly opened his eyes and waited to regain focus. The lights in the room hurt his eyes, but they did begin to focus. He was in an extremely small medical bay, by the looks of it. He was alone, except for a gruff looking old man who was standing over him.

"Master Windu?" Anakin asked seeing only that the man was black.

"No son," the man replied. "Name's Bindo; Jolee Bindo. Do you know your name?"

"Anakin Skywalker," he replied. "Where am I?"

"You're about fifty light years from Coruscant," the man replied. "You'll be there in about four days."

_Four days? _Anakin thought dryly. _What kind of piece of crap ship is this?_

"Head hurts," he replied.

"Just a moment," Jolee said as he filled up a syringe with liquid that was derived from kolto. He injected it into an IV that Anakin hadn't even noticed was in his arm. It immediately took effect and the pain subsided. The drugs began to cloud his mind though.

"Chancellor!" he cried out. "Padme! Obi-Wan!"

"Easy son, easy!" Jolee said putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Get some rest. You were pretty banged up when we found you."

"Padme!" Anakin shouted again. He could see her beautiful face in his mind, piercing through the drug induced fog or the pain. "Where is she?" he sat up and his vision cleared. He turned to Jolee and attacked him. He grabbed the man by the collar and forced him up against the wall. Then something caught his attention.

"My arm?!" he gasped.

"Yeah, new synthetic one with a skin overlay," Jolee explained. "Now get off me!" he ordered, shoving Anakin back onto the bed. "For someone who was completely comatose ten minutes ago, you're a spry one."

Anakin's ears quickly picked up the faint sound of purring. He turned around and watched as a cathar woman walked into the room. She was dressed in red Jedi robes, so Anakin assumed she was at least a Jedi Knight, whereas the old man was probably a Jedi Master. He began to reach out with his feelings to examine his surroundings. There were two other Jedi on board, one male and one female. Then there was a wookiee, judging by the primal level of thought, and four other organics. He couldn't discern the species through the Force though, but he could tell that one of them was especially young.

"What's going on?" Anakin demanded.

"Calm down, boy," Jolee advised. "You've been out cold for over a week."

"A week? What's happened? Is the chancellor alright? What about Senator Amidala?"

"Kid, we don't much attention to politics. You'd have to ask Bastila," Jolee advised.

"Bastila? Why does that name sound familiar?"

Jolee nearly burst out laughing, while the cathar merely chuckled. "You are a Jedi, yet you do not know of Bastila Shan?" she asked.

It suddenly came back. The dream of the fight flooded his mind. "She's the Sith who fought that Jedi, Revan!"

"Watch your tongue, boy!" Jolee snapped. "She hasn't been a Sith for nearly eight years!"

"Sith!" Anakin gasped. "You're Jedi! You can tell me! What did Master Yoda do with Chancellor Palpatine?" 

"Palpatine?" The cathar repeated. "Jolee, isn't the chancellor's name Kettal?"

"Yeah," the old man replied. "Who is this Chancellor Palpatine?"

"He's been Chancellor for the last eleven years," Anakin replied confused that any Jedi could be so ignorant of politics.

"Kid, a chancellor can only stay in office for a total of eight years, if he makes both terms."

"The chancellor was re-elected a third time due to popular vote throughout the Republic."

"Kid, why don't you start with why you were out in the middle of the Dune Sea by yourself?" Jolee advised.

"The Dune Sea?" Anakin repeated. "I wasn't."

"That's where we found you," the feline woman said with a shrug.

"Just start from the beginning," Jolee advised.

Anakin sighed and took a deep breath. "I was on Coruscant. I was speaking with the chancellor about the General Kenobi and General Grievous. He let it slip that he knew…" he stopped, realizing suddenly that if these Jedi learned about his marriage to Padme, it could ruin them both. "He offered me something. He said he knew things about the Force that a Jedi could never know, things of the dark side."

"The chancellor practices the dark side!" Jolee gasped.

Anakin nodded. "I informed Master Yoda of what happened… but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Master Yoda might kill the chancellor for starting the war. It would have thrown the Republic into chaos!"

"Kid the last war that the chancellor declared was on Malak, nine years ago."

"The Clone War!" Anakin explained. Both of the Jedi looked at him with blank faces.

"Thousands of systems are leaving the Republic and you don't know about the war it's caused?"

Both thought for a minute. "Well, Onderon tried to break away about three years back, but that was taken care of," Jolee said. "That what you mean?"

"Onderon's last attempt to break away was nearly four thousand years ago," Anakin snorted.

"Onderon was only annexed in a few years ago, kid… unless. REVAN!!!!!!"

Anakin was shocked by the old man's sudden change in expression. A moment later, a man ran into the room, dressed in black Jedi robes. He looked to be in his mid thirties with dark brown hair and a hard face. It was the same man that Anakin had seen in his dream.

"What's wrong?" Revan inquired quickly.

"Kid, what year is it?" Jolee asked.

Anakin was confused, but he answered. "23586," he replied.

"By the Force," Revan gasped instantly understanding.

"What is it?" Anakin asked.

"Kid," Jolee said slowly. "It's 19463."


	2. On the Hawk

**Learning from the Past**

**Chapter II: On the Hawk**

"19463," Anakin Skywalker repeated slowly. "That's not possible!"

"What were you doing before you… what's the last thing you remember?" Revan asked.

Anakin needed to think for a moment. He sighed and looked up at Revan. "I was speaking with the chancellor and he said things… I realized he was the Sith Lord we had been searching for. I was going to kill him myself, but I couldn't. I told Master Yoda about the chancellor and he attempted to arrest him." Anakin paused in shame of what he had done.

"Go on," Revan urged.

Anakin shook his head. "I don't remember," he lied.

Revan sighed. "Perhaps the council could help him to remember when we reach Coruscant," the cathar woman suggested.

"Maybe," Revan agreed. "But this will definitely put a halt in our mission."

"Mission?" Anakin asked.

"It's nothing for you to worry about," Revan replied. "Come on. I'll introduce you to the crew."

He led Anakin and the others out into the main room of the ship and quickly called everyone in. A burly man who looked to be in his fifties came into the room. He was wearing beige pants, a black shirt, and a red over-shirt. His hair was iron grey and his face was scarred in some places. Next was another Jedi woman, dressed in unique tan colored robes. She had dark brown hair that she had pulled back into a pony-tail and piercing blue eyes. She was carrying a small child in her arms, who was fast asleep. She was followed by a rugged looking man who had a dark stubble of a beard and was dressed in a combat jacket. A wookiee and a blue skinned twi'lek were next and last were two droids. One was a utility droid and the other looked to be a rusty orange colored protocol droid.

"Everyone, this is Anakin Skywalker." Everyone gave some form of acknowledgement."

"This," Revan said walking behind the woman carrying the baby and putting his hands on her shoulders. "is my wife, Bastila, and our daughter Coryn."

"Hello," Anakin nodded his acknowledgment.

"Pleased to meet you," she replied.

"That is Mission Vao," he said pointing at the twi'lek and her friend, Zalbaar."

The wookiee growled his welcome while Mission walked up and shook his hand enthusiastically. "Are you another Jedi?" she asked. "I wanna be a Jedi! Bastila says I'm even Force sensitive, but I'm too old!"

"I'm… sorry?" Anakin wasn't sure what to say.

"Mission, not now," Bastila snapped at her.

"Come on Bastila! What if he wants to teach me?"

"This," Revan said loudly as he pointed at the gruff looking man. "is Canderous Ordo, the Mandalore."

"A Mandalorian?" Anakin asked curiously.

"What?" Canderous barked. "You never seen one?"

"Just one," Anakin replied.

"Would you happen to know what clan he came from?" Canderous asked curiously.

"Fett," Anakin said with a nod.

Canderous burst out laughing. "And you survived? Must've been a teenager!"

This statement seemed to anger Anakin. Catching this, Revan quickly continued. "This," he said clasping the rugged looking man on the shoulder. "is Carth Onasi, former Admiral of the Republic Fleet."

"Nice to meet you," Anakin said with a nod.

"You too," Carth replied.

"You've already met Jolee and Juhani," Revan said gesturing to the two Jedi. "And I, am Revan Ruthle, Jedi Knight and former Sith Lord."

"Sith Lord." Anakin backed away.

The images he had seen upon appearing were beginning to flare up in his mind. A red flag went up. Just then he realized that his lightsaber was gone. He had even see the woman with the child in her arms proclaim the superiority of the Sith. How could he be so stupid?

"Easy kid," Jolee snapped. "That was a long time ago. He's been with us for nearly a decade."

"No Jolee," Revan interrupted. "It's alright. I don't lie about my past." He turned to face Anakin. "First, I do have a question," he said his voice taking on a tone of offense. "You've never heard of Darth Revan?" Anakin stared back at him blankly. "Led the Jedi into the Mandalorian Wars? Nearly destroyed the Republic? Returned the light and destroyed the Star Forge? The Prodigal Knight? Nothing?" Anakin shook his head. "What in the name of the Force are they teaching in four thousand years?"

"Four thousand years?" Canderous repeated. "What?"

"Oh yeah," Revan remembered. "Young Skywalker claims to come from four thousand years in the future, give or take."

"Impossible!" Bastila gasped.

"Wow," Mission awed.

"Wait, so what are we gonna do with him?" the mandalorian demanded.

"The council will decide what to do," Revan replied. "In the mean time, I just wanted everyone to know what was going on. Jedi, assemble in Dorm One. We have something to discuss."

Everyone left the room, the five Jedi on board making their way to the dorm. "I'm sure you can all understand why I'm saying this. Anakin, while you are with us, you must not divulge any knowledge you have of the future."

"I agree," Bastila said with a nod. "Anything he tells us could irrevocably alter the future."

"Do you understand?" Revan asked Anakin.

"Yes," Anakin muttered. He looked up at Revan, trying to keep calm. _Do you understand? _He asked. He was a Jedi Knight, not some padawan. Why did every Jedi he knew insist on talking to him like some sort of child? "Now," he said feigning weariness. "I am tired. May I rest in here?"

"Of course," Revan replied. "We shall not disturb you."

Revan nodded for the others to go, leaving him and Anakin alone in the dorm. "What do you want?" Anakin asked.

"You have every right to fear me as the Dark Lord, Anakin," Revan admitted, shaking his head. "The things that I did in those days were terrible, but I want you to know that I was redeemed."

"How can I know that?" Anakin asked. "I knew a man who became a Sith Lord. I had to chop his head off because-"Anakin stopped. Had he had to kill Count Dooku? The man had been a Sith Lord, but had it been necessary, or had it merely been an act of revenge. He looked down at his mechanical arm. Looking at it, he couldn't see a difference between it and his organic one. No one had said a word against him for it. Hell, even Obi-Wan had congratulated him for it. It had made him a hero to the people, but it had nagged at him. Count Dooku had been defenseless. His hands had been lying on the ground! Anakin had seen genuine fear and pain in the man's face, yet he had slaughtered him. It hadn't been right. If any of the Jedi had truly known what had happened… the shame in Padme's eyes if she had known.

"You didn't have to kill him, did you?" Revan asked.

Anakin didn't speak. He had thought of Count Dooku's death for nearly three years before it happened. He had considered it with anger, and a thirst for revenge. Revenge hadn't been sweet either. It had left him with a sense of guilt and, even worse, fear.

"Could he have been saved?" Revan asked him.

"I don't know," Anakin replied slowly. "I want to say no… but I just don't know."

"Some people can't be saved, Anakin," the older Jedi said comfortingly, his mind rushing back to his old friend, Malak. "Some people die when they fall to the dark side, and all that is left is a monster."

"How can you tell the difference?" the younger Jedi asked.

"I don't know," he admitted. "If you were to look at me when I was the Dark Lord, you would claim that I was beyond redemption."

"Can I see who you were?" Anakin asked.

Revan chuckled and shook his head. "Not yet," he replied. "I want you to read the historical chronicles before I show you my fragmented piece of the story."

"But history is from a slanted point of view," Anakin argued. "Wouldn't it be better to see the truth?"

"You will come to know both sides in time, my young friend. Now you are tired. Rest easy. We have time to kill."

"Master Revan," Anakin called after him before he left.

"Yes?"

"You're a Jedi, yet you were permitted to marry… how?"

Revan chuckled. "Bastila and I married in secret," he replied. "The council didn't discover the truth until she became pregnant with Coryn. By then we had been married over a year and they saw little possibility in separating us. They tried. They offered her a seat on the High Council, while I was to become a Jedi Master on the rim. We were separated for nearly six months. Once Bastila had Coryn, I came back to Coruscant. She stepped down from the council and I returned to the core. We assembled this crew and have been working independently for the Jedi ever since."

"So you're not really Jedi?"

Revan shrugged. "That's sort of a gray area. In name, no, but we still have complete access to the Jedi resources and sanctuaries. We're still considered to be great friends to the order and most Jedi consider us to be part of it. There's just no chance of promotion."

Anakin pondered this. Could he do the same thing? It would be similar once the baby was born. He would have to think on the matter. "Thank you," he said gratefully. "I will think on what you have said."

A smirk appeared on Revan's face. "Got a lady in your life too, I take it?" he asked.

"No," Anakin lied.

The former Sith Lord shrugged and left the room. _Sure seems like you do. _He thought with a smile.

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Padme's screams pierced through his mind painfully. He could see her, dressed in a hospital gown of some sort. Her abdomen was swollen with her pregnancy and her face contorted with pain. Obi-Wan was still beside her, but so was he this time… and so was Chancellor Palpatine.

Anakin held her hand, allowing her to squeeze his for support. Another scream escaped her as the birthing bot pulled the baby from underneath the blanket. The small child's screams echoed through the room. Obi-Wan took the child once it had been cleaned and smiled. "It's a boy," he told Anakin.

"Oh Luke," Padme breathed.

Anakin looked up at his son, a look of pride in his eyes. Obi-Wan turned and handed the baby to the chancellor. He began to laugh manically, as he held the child. "If you will not join me, perhaps your son will," he said without the fake voice he had worn in public for thirteen years.

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Anakin bolted up in his bunk as he awoke from the strange nightmare. He looked around and saw that all the lights had been extinguished. He found his way through the ship by touch, rather than sight until he came into the main room. The lights were still on and the cathar, Juhani was sitting at the halotable.

"You cannot sleep, Padawan?" she asked.

Annoyance licked Anakin's words as he spoke. "I received the rank of Knight years ago," he informed her.

"I apologize she replied. "I merely assumed."

"It's alright," he replied. "Why are you still awake?"

"I find that it is peaceful to stay awake when the others fall asleep. You can sense their thoughts when they sleep and their mental shields are down."

"You can do that with the non-Jedi any time you want," he pointed out.

Juhani snickered. "Not with these non-Jedi," she replied. "The pilot and the mandalorian have fought the Force for years. It is not so simple to breach their minds. The twi'lek is Force sensitive, though she will probably never receive training. The wookiee race has a tendency to keep primal thoughts and instincts on the surface, while keeping their true intelligence masked."

"And the baby?" Anakin joked.

"Shielded by her mother," Juhani answered seriously.

Anakin looked at her curiously. "There have been attempts on young Coryn's life before. Bastila began to take precautions once that happened."

"They attacked a baby?"

"The Exchange knows no moral lines," Juhani said fiercely.

"The Exchange?"

Juhani gasped. "Have they truly fallen by your time?" she asked. "Has the most powerful crime syndicate in history truly been erased?"

"I've never heard of them," he replied.

"By the Force," she gasped. "If you stay in this time long enough, you will learn of them. They are monsters and if you meet them, you'd best be on guard."

"On guard?" Anakin laughed. "I don't even have a lightsaber."

Juhani looked at him ponderingly for a moment. "Yours was left in your own time?"

The young Jedi nodded at the older one as he sat down at the table. "I could probably make a new one using some makeshift parts around the ship," he said thoughtfully.

"But a lightsaber must have a connection with the one who wields it," the cathar said disapprovingly. "I hardly see how a weapon made simply to get by could have that bond."

"On the contrary," Anakin said shaking his head. "I have a passion for mechanics. Therefore, a lightsaber built of spare parts would be a work of improvisation. It would have a clear connection to me."

She considered this a moment before nodding. "I see logic in what you say," she admitted. "You use anything on or in the workbench to construct your weapon."

"Thank you," he replied as he stood up.

He found several different objects around the workbench area that he could use. He picked up a blaster rifle that had been smashed up. Upon examination, Anakin decided that the barrel had not been damaged. He carefully disconnected it and opened the bottom, where it connected to the power pack. Systematically, he began to remove unnecessary objects, while reconnecting specific wires. He took other wires from the blaster and began to plant them in the makeshift hilt. After that he began to rework the blaster rifle's power cell to give it solar batteries. It was crude, but it would serve as a power source for his weapon. After adding it to the barrel, he began sifting through old objects looking for something he could use as a lens. This was taken care of by using the scope on an old assassin rifle. Last he needed a crystal. He frowned for a moment. The only thing that he could use as a crystal was the explosive rock like substance that were inside of Revan's frag grenades. He picked one up and looked at it thoughtfully.

Obi-Wan had once hypothesized that the Sith had obtained their lightsaber crystals through synthetic means, seeing as how the Jedi had guardians over all of the crystal caves in the Republic. It had been a valid theory, seeing as how they had later tested it and found that a Jedi could create a focusing crystal from ordinary mineral rocks. The crystals had proven somewhat unstable and were prone to deactivate after a short time, but what was the alternative?

The young Jedi slowly began to dismember the grenade carefully before gently pulling out the small rock. He dropped it in his palm and closed his fingers around it. The Force began to flow through him. He felt its energies sparkling as he used his body as to channel the Force into the rock. Heat started to seep through his glove, warming his hand. It began to shake slightly as the Force began to rip apart the rock's atomic properties, rearranging the particles so that they would form a sparkling crystal instead of a dull rock.

The Force subsided and Anakin opened his hand. He looked down in satisfaction to see a shimmering dark blue crystal in his hand. A smile creased his lips as he took it between his thumb and index finger. The Jedi carefully set the crystal and closed the panel. His finger depressed the switch on the handle and a blade appeared with a hiss. It was slightly darker than a normal blue crystal, but it would do. He even swung the blade experimentally to test it. It didn't deactivate. 

Well, being trapped in the past might not have been appealing, but at least he had a new lightsaber for this era.


	3. Escape!

**Learning from the Past**

**Chapter III: Escape!**

It had been a few hours since Anakin had constructed his new lightsaber. He stood alone in the cargo hold, swinging his blade in a meditative form, designed to work the body and focus the mind at the same time. He had been at it for a good while now, so the effects were starting to tell on his body. His face was drenched with sweat and his Jedi robes were becoming more uncomfortable each second. The heat radiating from his lightsaber was also raising his body's temperature.

It didn't matter. He didn't even notice. Anakin had been so engrossed in his meditation that his mind had left the secular world. It was sort of like he was lost in a dream, though his body was completely conscious. His senses were still active and registered his surroundings, but the information being transferred to his brain hit a brick wall. Anakin's mind was focused purely on one thing; Count Dooku.

In his mind, Anakin wasn't alone. The fallen Sith Lord stood in the room with him, his crimson lightsaber drawn. The meditative battle he found was against the man he had… murdered. It had raged for some time now and was beginning to erode his strength of mind. His body was weary and his heart was heavy. Count Dooku was invincible. His strength had not faltered. He moved with speed that most men his age could only dream of. His moves were so well calculated and execute with such precision that it was a miracle Anakin had lasted so long. Dooku seemed to be immortal now that he was one with the Force.

In a desperate flurry of attacks, Anakin actually managed to knick Dooku's cape, startling the Sith Lord. The Jedi kicked his opponent's hand out of the way and swung his saber. Dooku backed away and threw a volley of Force lightning at his opponent. Anakin quickly brought up his saber to soak up the attack. The widespread attack was mostly absorbed on his saber, but a few volts managed to go around, sending painful shocks through the young Jedi.

"You grow weary, Skywalker. Surely you have more power than this!" Dooku goaded.

Anakin growled as he began another futile attempt against his enemy. Dooku parried every blow, aggravating Anakin greatly. "I hate you!" he screamed as he swung madly.

"Good," Dooku said with a laugh. "Release your rage on me!"

Anakin screamed as he attacked again. Dooku still had no trouble keeping up with the weakened Jedi. Anakin on the other hand was swinging madly, focused only on killing his opponent. He didn't care about anything else. All he wanted was to see Dooku dead!

"Anakin!" 

Anakin stopped. He was suddenly back on the Ebon Hawk, in the cargo hold. Dooku was no where to be found. He was still completely alone.

"Obi-Wan?" he asked.

He was certain that he had recognized his master's voice, but how was that possible? Obi-Wan wasn't even alive yet and wouldn't be for nearly 4000 years. Anakin shook his head. He was hallucinating. The intensity of the Force trance had made him hear things, nothing more.

He sighed as he deactivated his newly constructed lightsaber and clipped it to his belt. He was exhausted and it was only now that he was able to realize it. He left the cargo hold, intending to go back to the dorm, but accidentally bumped into the small utility droid as he went.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

The droid beeped cheerfully and cranked its disc shaped head up to look at Anakin. It beeped a few more time excitedly. "Nice to meet you, T3-M4," Anakin said politely. The droid beeped back at him cheerfully and rolled off. Anakin frowned at what the droid had said and followed after him.

The droid led him into the main room where Juhani had been a few hours before. The cathar had probably gone to bed by now, seeing as how the room was empty. The droid stepped up to the holotable and plugged in. A long page of words appeared and Anakin skimmed them briefly.

"This is what Revan wanted me to see?" he asked.

The droid beeped an affirmative and Anakin began to read the pages in depth. It was a historical encyclopedia detailing the Mandalorian Wars, the rise and fall of Darth Revan, his return to the light, and the Jedi Civil War. It took quite awhile to read all of the information. When he was finally done he had more questions than before… and a deep suspicion of the man whose ship he was on.

Anakin leaned back in the chair he had taken. He thought deeply for a few minutes before sighing. He would have to speak to the Jedi Council about this. They would know what to do. According to these articles, Revan was a Jedi Knight and a servant of the Republic, but so was Chancellor Palpatine. The Sith Lord could easily be waiting for a chance to strike. Maybe he had brought him to this time. Maybe it hadn't been Master Yoda. Anakin had intricate knowledge of the future, great power, and had been very near to falling to the dark side of the Force. Maybe Revan planned on using him, turning him to the dark side and using his knowledge of what would happen against the Republic. Four millennia of Jedi and Sith knowledge that he alone possessed… it was possible.

True, Anakin didn't sense the dark side in Revan, but he hadn't sensed it in Chancellor Palpatine either. Besides, his ability to differentiate between the light and the dark had been thrown off since his arrival in the past. Revan had probably done something to him to hide his true motives until the right time. That meant that he couldn't trust anyone on board either. They were either his servants or he planned to turn them the same way.

Anakin stood up and nodded to the droid. "Thank you T3," he said as he walked by, into the cockpit. The ship was on autopilot and it seemed that Carth had locked the systems, but Anakin wasn't concerned. He was used to working with technology that was four thousand years more advanced. These old systems were helpless before him. He quickly unlocked the navi-computer and began to scroll through the list of planets that the Hawk had been to. It was a rather long list, but there was one planet nearby he knew he could rely on; Tatooine. It was less than two lightyears out and the Hawk could probably arrive there within a couple of hours. All he had to do was keep the others out of his way and they would probably be asleep for most of that time.

He quickly changed the ship's course for Tatooine. From there he could obtain safe transportation to Coruscant where he could speak with the Jedi Council. Now all he had to do was kill some time. He was tired, but sleep would be a dangerous choice. Knowing he would need to be at his most efficient level, Anakin decided to enter a meditative sleep. It was sort of like putting the body to sleep, while the conscious mind remained awake and fully alert. He would sense any presence coming near him if it should. He was reluctant to choose this, seeing as how his body would still be temporarily drowsy when he woke up, but he really didn't see another choice. His plan was already in motion, so he closed his eyes and let the Force put his body to sleep.

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"Revan! Revan, wake up!"

Revan shook his head drowsily as Bastila's urgent voice roused him from his dream. He was alert within seconds and looked around. "What's wrong?" he asked as he threw aside his blanket and stood up.

"It's Anakin!" his wife informed him. "He's gone!"

"Gone? We're in the middle of space!"

"No, we're not! He must've hijacked the ship. We're on Tatooine!"

"Tatooine?" Revan repeated stupidly trying to think for a moment. "Why would he…" his voice trailed off. "Where's T3?" he demanded.

Revan stormed into the bridge of the Ebon Hawk to find his crew already assembled. "Where's the droid?" he demanded. T3-M4 rolled up to Revan and chirped happily.

"Where's Anakin?" Revan asked. The droid beeped an uninformative answer. "Did you show him the holobook?" An affirmative beep followed. "I told you to wait until I was present!" he shouted. The droid beeped an apologetic answer. "You misunderstood?" Another beep. Revan swore. "Alright," he said turning to his crew. "We have a serious problem. Get out into the city and find him! Who knows what he's planning!"

"Planning," Mission repeated. "How do you know he's planning something?"

"He hijacked our ship and stole off in the middle of the night," Revan replied. "I'm sure he doesn't have any idea as to what he'll do next!"

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"Now what?" Anakin asked himself bitterly. Transport to Coruscant would cost him at least eight hundred credits and the money he did have wouldn't be active for another three thousand years, at least. He needed money and he needed it fast. The crew of the Ebon Hawk would be awake soon and he needed to be out of Anchorhead before they were. He had seen two ways to obtain money. He could either gamble with a hutt, which usually didn't work in his favor, or he could solve a small problem for a corporate manager.

A woman who was managing an office for a company called Czerka. Some years back, a Jedi had apparently come and settled certain affairs with the Tusken Raiders. The Jedi had, however, refused to kill them. Instead he had negotiated with them and convinced them to leave the settlement alone. In the last eight years, the sand people had forgotten their promise. They had begun raiding caravans and attacking the settlement. Anakin had been hired to one purpose; to kill them all.

The moment he had heard the offer he had accepted it. Not only would he receive private transportation to Coruscant, but he would also be doing some good in the process. Those animals needed to be put down! He remembered bitterly how he had slaughtered an entire tribe after his mother had died in his arms. These were sand people of a different era, a previous era. Perhaps killing one of them would prevent the birth of a future tribe. Maybe his mother would survive and they could be a family and she could see the baby once it was born.

The Czerka corp. had provided him with little more than a speeder, but that had been more than enough. He had raced through the Dune Sea and now stood a little less than half a mile from the Tusken fortress. The woman at the office had mentioned steeling weapons, but this wasn't what he had expected. The sand people were patrolling the fortress in waves and the place was armed with repeating battery turrets.

The speeder would be destroyed long before it got close enough to the fortress to do any real harm, so he would have to proceed on foot. He drew his lightsaber and ignited the blade. The dark blue blade burned against the white sands beneath him. He charged towards the fortress, using the Force to speed his way. He cut down the first group of sand people without difficultly. Using the Force, he leapt to the next group, severing their heads with one fluid strike. The others began to realize what was going on. They growled viciously as they ran at him, gaffi sticks raised. Anakin sliced through their sticks, killing them one by one. Soon he managed to infiltrate the base and his hunt for the chieftain began.

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"You hired a Jedi to do what?" Revan asked dumbfounded.

"Some Jedi came in here about three hours ago and said he'd take care of the sand people," the Czerka manager replied. "I really hope he's more efficient than the last one."

Revan ignored the comment. "What's he asking for in return?"

"Nothing special," she replied. "Just safe passage to Coruscant. Have we met? You look familiar."

Revan frowned. He had been wrong. Anakin wasn't planning something; quite the opposite. He feared that Revan had been plotting something against him. "Damn it!" he swore as he bolted out of the office.

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He swung his lightsaber, cutting down the last guard that stood in his way. The young Jedi looked up at the chieftain and smiled. The chieftain raised his gaffi stick and fired a blaster bolt at his enemy. Anakin cocked his head to the left, easily avoiding the fatal shot. He held his blade high, ready to strike. The tusken fell back into his throne and growled.

"Goodbye!" Anakin shouted as he brought his blade down.

The lightsaber blade collided with the chieftain's gaffi stick, but it didn't cut through. Instead, the blade began to waver until it deactivated completely. Anakin looked at his weapon and swore. The false crystal must have shorted it out. "Ugh!" he growled as he threw down the weapon. The chieftain took his chance and swung the gaffi stick, hitting Anakin in the side of the head. He groaned with pain as he felt blood begin to pour from his temple. He fell to one knee and clutched the side of his head.

The chieftain rounded on him, gaffi stick poised to stab. Anakin quickly gathered the Force into his hand and threw it at his enemy. The tusken's neck snapped from the impact and the gaffi stick fell to the ground. The damage had been done. Anakin was beginning to feel weak. His eyes were blurry and his head was spinning. The numerous superficial wounds he had received suddenly seemed like so much more. His body ached, but at least he had succeeded. He had killed the sand people again… but nothing happened.

Anakin had been expecting something to feel different. He had expected the knowledge that he had changed the future to suddenly overtake him as if it had always been there. He expected to see his mother's beautiful face added into all of the happiest moments of his life, like his wedding, his acceptance into the knighthood, and his victories in battle. Nothing happened.

"No!" he screamed. "Damn it!" He began to swear viciously as he lost control of his power. He unwittingly began to hurl objects about the room, tearing through the dewback and bantha skin walls and durasteel frame.

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Revan shivered as he felt the darkness emanating from up ahead. He quickly keyed in new velocity orders into his speeder and it shot forward even faster. By the time he arrived at the fortress, it was already gone. Anakin stood alone, surrounded by a mess of mangled bodies, animal skins, and durasteel. He simply stood there, clutching his fists, looking off into space.

Revan dismounted his speeder and walked up to Anakin. "Is this what you want, Anakin?" he asked. "This is all your anger can bring you," he said as he gestured to the carnage around them. "Death."

Anakin looked at Revan with hatred in his eyes. "You brought me here," he snarled. "Now I'll make you regret it!"

Anakin lunged at Revan, taking the former Sith Lord completely by surprise. The tackle knocked them both to the ground, though it only dealt damage to Revan. The two went rolling in the sand as Revan struggled to get Anakin off of him. The two Jedi grunted and growled as they fought on the ground, neither giving the other a chance to attack. Anakin smashed his forehead into Revan's face, breaking his nose. Blood began to pour from the former Sith Lord's nostrils and it began to swell up immediately. Revan retaliated by kneeing Anakin in the stomach. This gave him a chance to roll over, giving him the better position. His hand went for his lightsaber, but Anakin quickly used the Force to hurl it as far away as possible.

Revan scrambled to his feet, but his opponent swung his leg, tripping the fallen Sith Lord. The younger Jedi jumped on top of the older and began to punch him in the face repeatedly. Revan grabbed his fist and, using the Force, sent shocks through Anakin's wrist. He hissed as he was electrocuted and was forced to relinquish his hold on Revan. It was a big mistake. Revan took his chance to jump up and throw a volley of Force lightning at him. Anakin rolled out of the way, watching as the sand was blackened by the electricity. He grabbed his lightsaber and turned to face Revan. The older Jedi had already called his weapon back to him and ignited it. Anakin pressed the switch on his, but the blade did not appear.

He knew he was beaten.

Revan and Anakin looked each other hard in the eyes. Revan sighed and deactivated his lightsaber. He clipped it to his belt and turned away from Anakin. "Are you just letting me go?" The younger Jedi sounded dumbfounded.

"No," Revan replied. He spun around and punched Anakin in the face as hard as he could, knocking him out. Revan looked down at the young Jedi with a grim look on his face. "You're going to be a real problem, aren't you?" he muttered. "The darkness I sense in you… it's too great to come from one person."

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Revan had been partially right. The darkness he sensed had been too great to come from just Anakin Skywalker. There was another who had fallen to the dark side in the area. He confidently strode up to the strange devise he had seen only once before and smiled. The Star Map began to open, revealing partial coordinates that would have led him to the Star Forge, were it still around.

The man extended a pale hand towards the Star Map and began to pull the dark side energy out of it. The map's dark power began to waver as it was slowly transferred over to the dark Jedi that stood before it. A rush of energy and adrenaline shot through the man, causing him to laugh mechanically. The map began to fall apart. The three legs collapsed and the orb that held the coordinate data fell to the ground and began to roll. It was stopped by a booted foot.

The man would have smiled if he were able to. His sick yellow eyes shone with triumph. "I sense something," he said to himself. "Something familiar…"

He kicked the ball away and turned to leave the cave. A dead krayt dragon was lying beside the entrance to the cave. The two tiny pearls that had belonged to it now sat in its slayer's belt. He looked at the dragon without much pity. It had been a quick fight. He had used his lightsaber to tear through the dragon's stomach, allowing its insides to pour out, staining the sands of the Dune Sea.

His red mesh armor shone brightly in the hot suns of Tatooine and his violet cape billowed in the wind. "You're here, Revan," he said happily. "It's been a long time. Now we settle this, once and for all!" Darth Malak began to laugh again as he considered the possible outcomes of his battle with his former master.

"This will be a day to remember," he said the dragon's carcass.


	4. Return of the Sith

**Learning from the Past**

**Chapter IV: Return of the Sith**

His head span wildly again and a large pounding began in the back of his skull. He grabbed his head with both hands and tried to use the Force to stop the pain, but it was to no avail. The throbbing wouldn't stop. He rolled about the ground in pain, praying that this torture would end. It did.

Anakin opened his eyes and stood up. He wasn't on Tatooine anymore or Coruscant for that matter. This was a strange world that he had never been to before. He was standing on top of some sort of temple. The white sun above was nearly blinding and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust.

When they did he realized something; he wasn't alone. There was a pale woman dressed in black robes standing next to a large archway. She looked very anxious and the hand that gripped her double-bladed lightsaber was sweating profusely. A small one man ship was docked behind her, which she kept turning back to as if she considered using it.

"Bastila?" Anakin asked as he walked up to her. She didn't seem to see or hear him, even when he stood directly in front of her. "Bastila, are you alright?" he asked. Bastila began to walk forward, igniting her lightsaber – her red lightsaber. She walked right through Anakin, leaving him with a cold feeling.

He spun around and saw that three Jedi were coming towards them. "Revan!" Anakin growled. Revan, Jolee, and Juhani each activated their lightsabers as they came towards Bastila.

"Revan," Bastila said with a smile. "I knew you'd come for me. Malak thought you might be afraid to enter the temple again, but he doesn't know you like I do. Not anymore. Not since you've changed."

"Quickly!" Juhani said urgently. "Bastila, come with us! We have to escape before Malak arrives!"

"Escape?" Bastila asked. "You don't understand. I have sworn allegiance to Lord Malak and the Sith. I am no longer a pawn of the Jedi council." The words sounded so liberating. She sounded so pleased with herself. Anakin was disgusted.

"She deserves to die!" He shouted.

"Does she?" a familiar voice asked him. Anakin turned and saw a man he recognized standing behind him. The fallen Count Dooku beamed at him with a smile. Anakin gasped. "Did I deserve to die?" Anakin backed away as the Sith Lord came near him. "Do not be afraid, young Skywalker. I am not here to hurt you."

"Then why are you here?" the Jedi asked cautiously.

"Think of me as your guide," Dooku replied. "You and I have so much in common. It is only right that I should be the one to help save you."

"Save me?" Anakin scoffed. "You're a Sith!"

"Not anymore," Dooku said shaking his head. "I have been redeemed, as you yourself may be."

"Redeemed? You're dead! That's not possible!"

"Anything is possible with the Force, young Jedi." Dooku chuckled as he stepped towards Bastila and Revan, who were still speaking with one another. "This was a monumental moment in your friend, Revan's life. This was the day he severed all ties to the Sith and was truly redeemed."

"How?" Anakin asked.

"Watch," Dooku instructed.

"Malak forced me to acknowledge my anger and pain! He showed me the liberating power of these emotions. He made me see how the Jedi council has denied me what is mine by right!"

"Is that how you felt?" Anakin asked Dooku.

"To a degree, yes."

"Then why change back?"

Dooku chuckled. "The dark side may make you strong, but it also strips away your true emotions. Love, compassion, happiness. They all die once you are overcome by darkness, though you don't realize it at first."

"You mean-,"

"You may love your wife, but once you fall to the dark side that will change. She will be seen only as an object that you will use until she proves useless."

"No!" Anakin insisted. While the two of them were talking, Revan and Bastila began to fight with one another. "I love her. Nothing can change that!"

Dooku smiled. "Look at these two. They were very much in love. The dark side drove them to this!"

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Revan's speeder pulled up in front of the Ebon Hawk and he deactivated it. Carth and Canderous were standing outside waiting for him. "What happened?" Carth asked, seeing Anakin's unconscious body on the back of Revan's speeder.

"He put up a fight," Revan replied simply, lifting the young man in his arms. "Canderous, take him to the med bay. I want to lift off in less than an hour."

"Alright," Canderous said taking the body. "But Mission and Zalbaar are in the city. They decided to look for you."

Revan turned around to look back at the spaceport exit. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he said to them as he started back towards Anchorhead.

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Revan swore as he came out of the cantina. He had searched nearly every building and Mission and Zalbaar couldn't be found. A few people in the cantina had mentioned seeing a twi'lek with a human, but there had been no mention of a wookiee. His finger touched the button on his intercom and he spoke, "Mission, Zalbaar come in. Respond, where are you?" 

There was still no answer except the buzz of static… at first. After he had shut it off and began walking back towards Yuka Laka's droid shop, his intercom exploded with a powerful, commanding voice. 

"Revan!" it cried causing him to wince at the sharp, unexpected noise.

The former Sith Lord quickly adjusted the sound on his ear piece and pressed the red button. "Who is this?" he demanded.

"Come to docking bay nineteen, alone. Otherwise the twi'lek and the wookiee are as good as dead."

"Lay a finger on them and I'll-," the intercom cut off before he could finish his threat. He swore viciously and changed to the Ebon Hawk's channel. "Carth, someone has Mission and Zalbaar. I'm going to docking bay nineteen. Be ready to back me up if I give the signal!"

There was a moment of silence before Carth answered.

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"I'd love to bud, but we're having our own problems here," Carth replied. He, Jolee, Bastila, Juhani, and Canderous were all standing outside of the Ebon Hawk. They were surrounded by men dressed as mercenaries, each with a weapon trained on them. "Go get Mission and Zalbaar," he ordered. "We'll back you up as soon as possible."

"Alright," Revan replied. "Be careful."

"You too," the pilot warned. "These guys don't look like light weights. Onasi out." Carth smiled. "Alright," he said to his friends. "Go!"

Suddenly Jolee, Juhani, and Bastila sprang out their enemies, lightsabers blazing.

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Docking bay nineteen was a private port. It had been for months, though Revan had never known its owner to be on Tatooine at the same time as him. Admittedly, he hadn't paid all that much attention to it. Now he wished he had. Stepping into the port, he saw a large warship, the size of the old Sith interdictor ships. He was unkindly reminded of Saul Karath's Leviathan.

He looked around, reaching out with his feelings to try and find his companions. All he could feel was darkness. He shivered violently. Clenching his fist he started towards the ship. "Hello!" he called out. "Mission! Zalbaar!"

"Freeze!"

Suddenly the entire docking bay was filled with mercenaries, each one training a blaster on Revan. He turned around and saw that the door was blocked. Analyzing the scene, he deducted that there were at least twelve men around him. He sighed heavily. He already had a broken nose from his fight with Anakin and was in a fair amount of pain. He wasn't particularly in the mood to be putting up with this.

"Where are Mission and Zalbaar?" he demanded.

"Your friends are perfectly safe," a man said as he stepped out of the ship. "For now at least." He was a tall man, bald with a black goatee. He wore black baggy pants and a silver breast plate, adorned with mandalorian etchings. He was snickering madly as he walked up to Revan.

"Where are they?" Revan demanded.

"Alive," the mandalorian replied.

"Where?"

"The twi'lek is on board my ship inside one of the holding cells. The wookiee is being interrogated."

Revan was visibly disturbed by this. "Interrogated? For what? What do you want?" 

"It's not a matter of what I want?" the mandalorian replied. "It's more a matter of what my leader wants."

"Your leader? You're a mandalorian. You follow the Mandalore and the Mandalore follows me."

"I fought under Mandalore the Ultimate during the wars. He taught me to follow the strongest and it's the strongest that I follow!"

"And who is that?"

"You will learn soon enough, Lord Revan. In the mean time, my men are bored and my master would want you warmed up when he arrives."

Revan lifted his hand into the air and a wave of Force energy exploded in every direction. All of the men were thrown backwards, either dieing or losing consciousness instantly, except for the mandalorian. A Force barrier engulfed him, absorbing the power of his attack.

"A dark Jedi," Revan commented. "Of course."

"A Sith Apprentice," he corrected as he pulled a dull gray cylinder from his breastplate.

"I thought that Eli and I had driven you all out of Republic space three years ago."

"You and the Jedi Exile may have slaughtered our generals and sent half of the Sith running, but then the master came. He rallied us to his cause and reformed our ranks. He spent the last three years adding to our numbers, making our legions strong. Our empire is growing and now we have returned to Republic space, ready to wage war and conquer what is ours by right!"

"I've explored the outer regions. There's nothing out there except for space!"

"Wrong," the mandalorian Sith sneered. "There are entire solar systems, filled with sentient life. From these planets we have gained many and grown strong."

"The Sith have never known true power," Revan replied.

"No, Revan. We are power!"

The Sith activated his crimson lightsaber and brandished it threateningly. Revan stepped back as his opponent lunged at him. The former Sith Lord drew his own cerulean colored saber and parried a quick slash. The fight had only begun, but Revan could clearly see the attacks of an expert Shien master. Shien was a difficult form to face, especially if your opponent was advanced in its use, but Revan wasn't worried. He possessed total mastery over the superior Juyo form.

The blades flashed as the two dueled, but Revan had a clear advantage. The mandalorian began to use the Force to augment his strength and speed, but it was no use. Revan could heighten his traits just as far and still have power left over. The battle wouldn't last long.

Revan back flipped and landed at the loading ramp of the ship. He deactivated his lightsaber and turned to enter the ship. "Stop!" his opponent cried, flinging a volley of Force lightening at him. Revan lifted his hand and absorbed the energy into a ball, before deflecting it right back at him. Unprepared for the attack, the Sith was thrown back, landing several feet away from the ship.

"I will kill you!" the Sith insisted as he charged Revan in a desperate rush. The former Sith Lord used the force the wrench a nearby cargo crate off the ground and throw it at the mandalorian. It hit him full on, pinning him to the ground. Revan looked impassively as his enemy tried to throw off the crate, but he couldn't focus. Fear had interfered with his ability to concentrate on the Force.

Revan turned to enter the ship, but was suddenly pulled back and sent rolling in the sand. He looked back and saw the crate fly off of the mandalorian, but it couldn't have been him. He would have sensed an attack.

"You were a fool to take him on single handedly, my apprentice," a mechanical voice told the Sith as he got to his feet. Revan stood up and looked at the door of the docking bay.

"It's not possible!" Revan gasped. Darth Malak began to walk towards his former master, his yellow eyes shining. "I watched you die!"

"Die? No Revan, you watched me fall, only to rise and become even more powerful! Did you think it was truly possible to kill me on the Star Forge?"

"It was worth a shot," Revan muttered.

Malak chuckled. "Still making jokes, Revan? Even now, in your final hour."

"I killed you once on board the Star Forge, Malak. How can you hope to defeat me without it?"

"I've spent three years becoming stronger and stronger. There is no power in the galaxy greater than mine and the Star Maps will only continue to make me stronger!"

"The maps? What good are they now that the Forge is gone?" he asked.

"Their dark energy has continued to energize me. Soon I'll have absorbed the power of the last two and I will be unstoppable!"

"No, Malak. You won't live that long!"

Revan drew his lightsaber as Malak did the same. They leapt at each other and the battle begun.

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Bastila deactivated her lightsaber and turned to the others. "Juhani and Jolee, come with me! The rest of you stay with the ship. Carth, watch Coryn while I'm gone!"

"Where are you going?" Canderous demanded.

"To find Revan!" Bastila replied as she and her fellow Jedi ran from the docking bay.

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Malak vaulted over Revan and swung his saber again. The former Sith ducked and kicked his old apprentice in the chest. The mesh armor vibrated under his foot, sending shocks up Revan's leg. Malak took advantage of Revan's momentary shock and used the Force to throw him backwards.

Malak's apprentice threw the same crate back at Revan, knocking him down and sending him rolling. The two Sith began to tower of their prey. He struggled back to his feet, but he was tired. His fight with Anakin, along with his trek through the desert had taken its toll on him.

He stood up and created a Force barrier around himself to ward off Malak's attacks, but he couldn't hold out long. "Your friends will be dead soon," the mandalorian goaded. "We captured two of his companions," he explained to his master.

Malak stopped. "Excellent. Then we'll let him suffer before we finish him."

Malak suddenly threw an entire wave of Force lightning at him. Revan screamed in agony as he writhed on the ground. Soon he was overtaken by darkness.


	5. On the Move

**Learning from the Past**

**Chapter V: On the Move**

Anakin Skywalker's head was throbbing. He groaned slightly as he tried to sit up. His vision was blurred when his eyes opened and it took them a moment to focus. He was back inside of the Ebon Hawk's small medical bay and he could feel the cold abyss that was outer space.

"Damn it," he muttered as he threw off the blanket that had been placed over him.

Gently pulling the IV out of his arm, he began to reach out with his feelings. What he felt wasn't pleasant. The Ebon Hawk was filled with despair and anger. Each member of its crew seemed to be consumed by it. He stood up and slowly walked out of the medical bay. He found Revan alone with Coryn in the main room the Ebon Hawk. Revan held a dull expression as he played with his daughter, who seemed to pick up on his feelings. She wasn't her usual cheerful self, though her father didn't seem to notice.

"Revan?" Anakin said nervously. The former Sith Lord turned his head to look at Anakin but said nothing. His eyes were filled with disappointment and anger. Slowly gathering up the nerve, Anakin walked around and sat on the opposite end of the holotable. "Revan, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry," he sneered.

"The Force has made me realize what I did was wrong. I saw you turn away from the dark side. I believe I can trust you," the last words trailed off as he saw the look on the older Jedi's face.

"When you first arrived, I believed that the Force had brought you here for a purpose," Revan said as he ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "I don't really care anymore. We're on our way to Coruscant. I've spoken with the Jedi Council. You will remain at the Jedi Temple while my crew tries to fix your mistake."

"My mistake?" he repeated.

"There was a Sith Lord on Tatooine, Anakin. His name is Darth Malak. Because of you, he had the opportunity he needed to capture two of my people."

Anakin's eyes widened and guilt was immediately apparent. He opened his mouth several times to say something but shut it again, knowing that it would do him no good. He sighed weakly and closed his eyes.

"Mission and Zalbaar," he said to answer Anakin's unspoken question.

"What does he want with them?" Anakin asked. "Why capture them?"

"He wants me," Revan explained. "T3 showed you the story."

"So your apprentice is alive?"

"It seems so," the older Jedi replied as he picked up his daughter and stood up.

"Revan let me help!" Anakin pleaded as the former Sith Lord prepared to leave the room. "It's my fault! I should be the one to get them back!"

Revan didn't yell. He didn't attack. He didn't do anything the signified that he was even angry, except for the ice cold tone in his voice. "I want you off my ship," he snarled as he walked away.

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The arrival on Coruscant was much like Anakin anticipated. The city hadn't really changed much in four thousand years. The inside of the Jedi temple was exactly as he recalled, the only difference being the faces inside. The Jedi Council chamber was identical to the one from his time, though only seven of the twelve seats were currently filled.

He addressed a small bronze alien of Master Yoda's species. "Where are the other Jedi Masters?" he asked.

"On various worlds, scattered across the galaxy," the alien, a Master Vandar, replied.

"They won't be broadcasting in through hologram?" Anakin asked.

"I beg your pardon?" an echani woman, dressed in white robes asked.

"Don't the-," Anakin stopped, suddenly remembering Revan's words about revealing the future to others. "Never mind."

"Very well," Vandar spoke. "Master Revan has reported that you caused some disturbance on his ship that cost him two members of his crew."

"I acted rashly," Anakin conceded. "I wish to make amends."

"Master Revan has also reported that you killed an entire tribe of the Tuskens on Tatooine," the echani woman added.

"This is no small matter. A very dark act, if I do say so myself," another human, Atris, mentioned.

"The tusken raiders?" he repeated. "They're animals!"

"That is not your job to decide," Atris snapped.

"I've seen their brutality," he said stubbornly. "They will continue to kill for thousands of years."

"And has killing one tribe changed that?" the echani woman asked.

"I don't know," Anakin shrugged.

"Look at him! He has no respect for us! How did this boy become a Jedi? Has the future of our order really fallen so low that it is corrupted by the dark side?" a cerean Jedi thundered.

"I did it for the good of the people of Tatooine!"

"It was an act of desperation to spare yourself pain in the future," Atris roared.

"Mind yourself, Atris. We don't know all of the circumstances, nor do we possess Jedi Skywalker's knowledge of the future. The Sand People could prove to be more problematic in the future," Vandar interjected. "Indeed, this is not the matter at hand."

"Though it is one that should be considered," the echani woman pointed out. "Should we really send him out into the galaxy if he is he already on the path to the dark side?"

"Master Solinari, what do you think?" Atris asked.

A human male who had remained silent up until now looked up. He was younger than the others, by nearly ten years in fact. His face was not marred by wrinkles or scars as some of the other masters, but was instead smooth and clean. His blue eyes looked at Anakin thoughtfully. He ran a hand through his sleek black hair and leaned back in his seat.

"Before we consider what Jedi Skywalker wants I think we should consider what Master Revan has said," he replied. His voice was slightly more passionate about the matter than the other masters, but he seemed to be looking it rationally. "Anakin will not be welcome back on board the Ebon Hawk."

"Then what do you suggest?" the echani asked.

"Well," he said considering the matter. "Jedi Skywalker do you really wish to redeem yourself to Master Revan?"

"Yes!" Anakin replied instantly.

"Revan reported that the Star Map on Tatooine had been drained of all the dark side energies within it. He's decided to go to Kashyyyk in order to check on the map there. My crew and I will take Skywalker and investigate Manaan."

The council stopped to think about this. "Jedi Skywalker, will you please wait in your provided chambers until we summon you?" Vandar requested.

"Yes Master Yo- Vandar." Anakin shook his head at his mistake and bowed before leaving swiftly.

---------------------------------------

It was several hours before Anakin heard anything from the council. Surprisingly, he wasn't summoned as he expected. Instead, Master Solinari had come to him. The door slid open and the Jedi Master came in, completely uninvited. Anakin stood and bowed. "Please, dispense with the formality. We're not in council," he said as he walked over to Anakin's synthesizer. He pressed a button and opened the machine. A bottle of juma juice and two glasses were waiting for him. He poured Anakin a glass and handed it to him.

The Jedi Master sat down quite comfortably and gestured for Anakin to do the same. At last Anakin could take no more and was forced to speak. "What is the council's verdict?" he asked.

"My crew or at least those of them who are here on Coruscant, will take you will us to Manaan while we investigate the Star Map there," he replied as he drained his glass.

"What about Master Revan?" Anakin urged, ignoring the drink before him.

"As I mentioned inside while we were in session, Master Revan plans on going to Kashyyyk to protect the map there," Solinari replied refilling his glass.

"Is there any chance that he'd accept my-,"

"No," the Jedi Master cut in. "Revan loves his crew and he blames you for what happened to Mission and Zalbaar. He has little love for you at this point."

"I can imagine," Anakin said, only wondering what he would have done if Revan's actions had cost him Obi-Wan or any other close personal friend.

"You realize we're dealing with Sith here, right?" He drained his glass again before getting his answer.

"I killed a Sith Lord once," Anakin replied.

"A Sith Lord?" he scoffed. "Neophyte."

"Neophyte?" Anakin repeated.

"I'm one of only two Jedi who can claim that in my time!"

The Jedi Master considered this thoughtfully for a moment before nodding. "I guess only Revan and I are the only living Jedi who can say that," he admitted with a shrug.

"Then why'd you call me a neophyte?" Anakin asked indignantly.

"I've killed three," he replied.

"Three?" the younger Jedi repeated somewhat dumbfounded.

"A triumvirate of Malachor," he replied. "My name is Eli Solinari, redeemed Jedi Exile."

"Eli… Revan mentioned you."

"Did he say I owed him credits?" Eli asked suspiciously.

"No."

"Excellent," the Jedi Master said happily. "But in all seriousness, you need to be ready where we're going. From here, it'll take us approximately fifty-six hours to reach Manaan, not including a quick stop. You've got that long to build a new lightsaber and to pick up a few tricks from my crew."

"I tried to build a new lightsaber," he replied.

"I saw," Eli said as he reached into the folds of his robes. A moment later her drew forth the hilt of the saber Anakin had built while on board the Ebon Hawk. He handed it to its owner, who took it gratefully. "The crystal shattered. It was a good idea, but did you think using a grenade would work?"

"It was all I had," Anakin replied with a shrug.

"Fair enough," Eli said. "You'll have to pick up a new one on the way."

Anakin nodded. "When do we leave?"

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Eli smiled proudly as he looked up at his ship, the Outcast. "Modeled after the Ebon Hawk, in case you didn't notice," the pilot, a Jedi named Atton, mentioned to Anakin.

"I can tell," he replied dryly as he looked at the exact replica of Revan's ship.

"The chief had the Hawk for awhile. Gave it back to Revan and had this one made a year later. Not quite as fast as the Hawk, but still is a beauty."

Anakin walked into the ship and saw that the interior was also a replica of the Ebon Hawk's. Eli quickly introduced him to the crew, which consisted of five Jedi; two humans, one echani, one zabrak, and one miraluka. The miraluka was dressed in black leather robes with red accents and a red veil. The echani was dressed in Jedi robes, while the humans and the zabrak were dressed as civilians. After being introduced to each one and taking a tour of the ship, Anakin decided to retire for the night.

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**Year ****23586 – Coruscant – Jedi Temple - Prison**

The doors slid open and two Jedi Masters walked into the prison. Jedi Master Mace Windu lowered his hood as he approached the cell at the very end of the hallway. He looked passed the ray shield to see the chancellor hopelessly sitting on his bed, face buried in his face. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi looked at him in disgust.

"It's time for your sentencing," Windu informed the Sith Lord.

Palpatine looked up. His face was pale, paler than it should have been and his eyes were now a sick yellow color. Kenobi and Windu both gulped when they saw what the dark side had done to the man once he had lost control of his powers. His trial had not gone well and once he had seen that he had no chance of winning he had let his powers explode. Two Jedi had been killed, as well at his arbiter. Master Yoda had quickly jumped into the maelstrom and disabled the Sith Lord. He had been fixed with a Force inhibitor ever since.

"Leave me," the Sith Lord snarled.

Obi-Wan walked over to the control panel beside his cell and keyed in the code to lower the ray shield. Windu ignited his violet lightsaber and held it up, just in case Palpatine should try anything. The Sith Lord stepped forward and approached Obi-Wan. "How is Anakin?" he asked pleasantly.

"He's fairing better than you are," Obi-Wan snapped. "Now let's go."

"Has Master Yoda told you what he did to the boy?" the chancellor asked. "I've been watching him ever since he was sent back in time. A pity about the twi'lek girl and the wookiee."

"Silence!" Windu ordered, holding the tip of his saber to Palpatine's chin. "I may save the Senate some trouble by doing this now."

"Master Windu, that violates the Jedi Code in almost every aspect," the Sith Lord reminded him.

"The Jedi are protectors of the Republic," the Jedi Master replied. "You are too dangerous to be kept alive in my opinion."

"Well it's a very good thing that your opinion does not justify the assassination of the Supreme Chancellor," Palpatine mocked. He turned back to Obi-Wan and smiled. "And the Sand People. You must admit, Master Kenobi, that was pretty dark."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and began to recite the Jedi Code in his mind in order to keep from losing control. "You've manipulated him since Qui-Gon Jinn and I brought him back from Tatooine," Kenobi snarled. "If I only I hadn't been so blind!"

"If only," the Sith Lord agreed. "Maybe he would have trusted you with the knowledge of his affair with Senator Amidala and the child she now bears."

"Come on," Mace said angrily as he grabbed the deposed Sith Lord by the arm and began to drag him down the hall. "It's time for the Senate to decide your fate."

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Palpatine smiled as the floating platform in the center of the Senate Chamber began to rise. The hundreds of hover disks that represented each planet in the Republic were filled with Senators and planetary leaders who had come to see chancellor's end. He quickly looked for individuals he could manipulate and smiled. Senator Amidala stood at the very front of the Naboo disk, looking down at him with pure contempt.

He wasn't going to die today. Padme was the only life line he needed. He watched without concern as Master Yoda stepped forward and addressed the senate. "Members of the Galactic Senate," he cried out. "Come before you today the Jedi have to ask your decision. What will the fate of Chancellor Palpatine be?"

A man from the Coruscant senate disk stood up. "Senator Gorle from Coruscant will be the spokesmen for this event," the middle aged senator replied. Palpatine shook his head. He never understood why the senators had to speak about themselves in the third person. It was something that had annoyed him since his time as a senator.

"The vote within the senate is unanimous," the senator was saying. "Chancellor Palpatine is to be executed immediately, before us now."

The Jedi all looked at one another. Finally, Master Yoda nodded to Master Windu. The dark skinned Jedi Master sighed as he stood up. "As you all know, it is not the way of the Jedi to execute prisoners," he said to the senate. "But as a matter of Galactic security, we will do as the Senate orders."

Palpatine began to laugh as Mace came towards him. "You would try to duel me, Master Windu?" Mace ignited his lightsaber and raised it to cut the chancellor's head off. "I still have friends in the senate, Master Jedi."

Palpatine looked up towards the Senator disk from Korriban, which had been empty for nearly three thousand years. To everyone's surprise, a clone trooper was standing there with a sniper rifle trained on Palpatine. He fired a very precise shot, destroying the Force inhibitor around his neck. The clone stood up and flung an electrum covered lightsaber towards the center platform. Palpatine leapt into the air and grabbed the saber, igniting it as he landed on the Naboo disk.

"Lord Vader will become more powerful than any of you," he snarled at the Jedi. Palpatine turned to address the senate. "You all could have known peace and security beyond that of any utopia of the past!" he sneered. "But you chose the Jedi over reason. I will no longer lead such arrogance! You orders have been fulfilled. Chancellor Palpatine is dead! My name is Darth Sidious!" The Sith Lord turned to Senator Amidala and grabbed her roughly by the arm. "I will have my apprentice!" he cried.

"No!" Obi-Wan cried as he and Mace Windu leapt up to the platform, lightsabers blazing. Sidious threw them both away from the disk before they landed with the Force. He turned and looked into Padme's fearful eyes. "I think Anakin needs us, my dear," he said with a crazed smile. Padme screamed in pain as everything around her except for the Sith Lord seemed to disappear.


	6. Trial of the Lightsaber

**Learning from the Past**

**Chapter VI: Trial of the Lightsaber**

"Anakin, are you alright?"

"Hmm?" Anakin looked up. Eli was looking at him with a somewhat concerned look on his face.

"You've been awfully quite," the exile commented.

"I'm fine," he replied. "I sense a disturbance in the Force."

"I've felt it too," the Jedi Master agreed. "Feels strange."

"I know that feeling, Eli," Anakin told him as he looked at his new friend.

Eli looked around the room, hoping that no Jedi were around. They had left Coruscant nearly three days ago and were now sitting inside of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. Ever since he had returned to the Jedi, Eli had been cautious around the younger ones. They were quick to judge what they heard and even quicker to report to their masters with false information. He didn't want to go through the trouble of explaining to twelve senior Jedi that their padawans misheard what Anakin had said.

"You know this feeling?" he asked.

Anakin nodded. "I felt it once, just before, but I can't place it," he replied. "It seems so familiar, yet twisted." He shook his head and smiled at his new friend. "It doesn't matter," he said. "It isn't here. It's probably just some sort of space beast waking up." Eli nodded in agreement, though he felt uncomfortable. Anakin didn't believe what he was saying about a space beast and that was obvious. In the last couple of days he had observed the young Jedi and was not fond of what he had seen. Anakin seemed to be a good person, but he had trouble controlling his emotions the way a Jedi should and he was constantly radiating anger in his sleep. Eli hadn't attempted to enter his mind to find out what his dreams related to, but he was sure that they weren't just dreams. The Force was speaking to Anakin in his sleep.

"Here," Eli said changing the subject. Anakin took the datapad that the exile was holding out to him and looked at it. It was a map of the surrounding areas and there was one area, a cave by the looks of it, that was marked in red. "That's the crystal cave I told you about. You can find a new lightsaber crystal there."

"Thank you, Master Solinari," the younger Jedi said. He bowed to his elder and then turned away. Eli watched him with some concern as he went.

"May the Force help us," he said as he shook his head.

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Anakin Skywalker stepped into the mouth of the cave that was marked on his map. He breathed a deep sigh when he felt the Force energies inside of the cave wash over him. The rare adegan crystals that grew here were strong. They would make ideal lightsaber crystals indeed. As he stepped inside he felt another presence, a darker presence.

"Kinrath," he muttered to himself. "Great." The only weapon he had was his lightsaber's shell. No one had warned him that the cave may have been dangerous and it hadn't occurred to him to bring a blaster. He stepped forward and was instantly greeted by a disheartening sight. There was a red skinned twi'lek lying on the ground. His body had been mauled and his jump suit showed several signs of puncture. The blaster rifle that was lying on the ground beside him had been cut clean in two.

Anakin had faced a swarm of kinrath on Kashyyyk one time when he and Obi-Wan had traveled there in the early days of the war. He remembered how one of them had pierced Obi-Wan's shoulder with its claw. The claw had cut clean to the bone and the two Jedi had had to work fast in order to heal it. Later on, when they were surrounded by Separatist droids, the effects of the kinrath had caught up with them. The poison started to take effect and Obi-Wan had passed out. Anakin had been hard pressed to fend off the battle droids and protect his master at the same time. If the wookiee hunters hadn't shown up when they did he would have been overwhelmed by the droids.

Obi-Wan had needed extensive medical treatment. Kinrath venom was fatal if not dealt with swiftly. Obi-Wan's connection to the Force was all that had saved him. The poison had sent him into a mad fever and he had needed a blood purification procedure to remove the taint from his body. Because of the Jedi Master's condition, the Jedi had been forced to pull out of Kashyyyk and had not returned until Master Windu took control of the wookiee resistance. That hadn't been until after Anakin and Obi-Wan had rescued Chancellor Palpatine from Count Dooku.

The thought made Anakin cringe. Nonetheless, he needed to be careful. He didn't have any antidotes with him and he had no way of contacting anyone if he was hurt. The idea of dying so slowly wasn't appealing. He cautiously began to make his way through the cave. The winding passages and sudden changes in terrain were maddening. The constant scurrying of kinrath was enough to drive him insane. He could hear them scraping against the rocky ground of the cave, but he couldn't see them. The cave's natural Force aura shielded them from his sight.

The young Jedi poked his head around a corner and saw two kinrath nestlings busy devouring what looked like a kath hound. He watched in disgust as the two young beasts tore the canine apart and ate its innards hungrily. The ground around them was now covered in the beast's crimson blood. This was his chance. Their attention wasn't on him. He stepped into sight, gathered the Force around him, and threw it at both of the small beasts.

His attack didn't seem to affect either of them. They looked up from their meal and saw the intruder. The small beige animals forgot about the feast before them and scurried towards Anakin on their six little legs. He tried to use the Force to throw them back again, but they seemed to be immune.

"Not good," he said to himself as they came at him.

He turned to run, but slipped on something wet and landed face first on the rugged ground. He felt the rocks tear the surface of his skin on his cheek, but didn't take time to mourn it. He realized that what he had slipped on had been blood and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it had come from.

The two kinrath pups began to crawl up his legs. He could feel their small claws prickle his skin as they pierced his tunic. He kicked one of them into the other and began to crawl away as quickly as possible. As soon as he could, he was back on his feet and ready to take them down. He knew he couldn't approach them directly and he knew that they seemed to be immune to his Force powers. The only reason he could think of was that they lived in such a Force imbued habitat that they were deaf to it now.

The two little creatures continued to come at him. He knew he needed to work fast. The stalactites that were on the ceiling of the cave didn't look all that secure. If he could time it just right, he might be able to bring them down on top of the kinrath. He reached out with both arms and tried to pull them towards him. He had been right. They weren't very strong and the rock snapped instantly.

Anakin held both of the razor sharp rocks in the air until his attackers were close to him again. Then he hurled them at the kinrath like spears. He had waited just a tad too long. Both kinrath were impaled and pinned to the wall after he threw it, but one of them had managed to swing at him with its venom imbibed claw. It had cut through his tunic and pierced the skin on his shin. He cried out as his leg gave out beneath his weight and he collapsed to the ground. He crashed into a small deposit of rocks, knocking them over.

Anakin swore loudly. Why hadn't Eli warned him about the cave's dangers? Two kinrath wouldn't have been a problem if he had a weapon of some sort or if his Force powers had any effect on them. Without any aid though…

He slowly stood up and tested his weight on his leg. It held up fine. He must have just collapsed from the shock. It stung a bit and upon further inspection he realized that the skin around the cut was swollen and had turned a deathly white color. The kinrath's claw had been filled with venom. He swore again and knew he had less than an hour before the ill effects would set it and maybe three hours before he would be rendered unconscious.

"I'm stronger than Obi-Wan," he told himself. "I can handle the poison longer."

He began to limp through the cave, hoping that he could avoid anymore kinrath. Unfortunately, the twin pups had just been the tip of the iceberg. The next tunnel housed another kinrath, though this one was fully grown. The passage ended in a dead end, but Anakin didn't care. He saw what he was looking for. A large crystal formation was growing at the very end of this hall, just behind the kinrath. If he could get passed the kinrath, grab a crystal, and install it into his lightsaber, he would be able to get out of the cave without much trouble.

He crouched down, preparing to use a Force assisted jump in order to make it passed the kinrath. He felt his leg buckle beneath him and fell down to one knee. He groaned in frustration, a bad move considering the kinrath was right in front of him. It whirled around and began trotting towards the fresh meat. Anakin quickly stood up and prepared for the coming creature. There were no loose rock formations that he could use this time, but there were several rocks lying around. The problem was that very few of them were large enough to do any damage to a fool blooded kinrath.

Anakin shifted his weight to his bad leg and quickly swung his other one, kicking the beast in the face. His leg collapsed beneath his weight and down he went. The kinrath squealed as it crawled on top of him, pinning him down with its massive legs. A screamed in pain as the creature slowly lowered its mouth to his chest and bit into his skin. It tore a minimal amount of flesh away, along with most of Anakin's tunic. His chest stung as he looked down at it. Blood was oozing from the fresh wound and he had no way of alleviating the pain so long as the beast was still on top of him.

The beast lifted its front two claws and stabbed them into Anakin's ribcage, inserting a large dose of venom into him. The effects were immediate. It was as if someone had injected a pure dose of bacta into his vein, except this was poison. His body instantly began trying to reject the venom and he felt himself heaving uncontrollably. There was little that he was aware of now, besides the overwhelming pain and the uncontrollable spasms his body was going into.

"Anakin!" someone screamed.

Anakin suddenly felt the two claws rip out of him and tear across the top of his torso as the beast was flung from him. The familiar _snap-hiss ­_of a lightsaber igniting greeted his ears and he heard the kinrath squeal in pain. He rolled onto his front and began to vomit.

When his body had purged itself of everything possible he fell onto his back besides the pool of sick and began to breathe harshly. The fowl taste remained in his mouth and the pain still coursed through him.

He was vaguely aware of someone coming up on him. "Ah, my friend. It is good to see you have not been killed." Anakin couldn't make out who it was through the dim haze that covered his eyes. All he could see was the penetrating red light that his savior's lightsaber cast over him.

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"Sir," the lieutenant said as he walked up to Malak's mandalorian apprentice, Darth Nestor. "Reports indicate that two humans and a droid have entered the Shadowlands with a wookiee hunting party," he reported with a salute to his superior.

"Describe them," Nestor ordered calmly as he kicked a small tach creature away from his boot.

"One of them is a man dressed in enforced Jedi robes. He seems to be older and going bald. His skin is dark and he seems to be very strong in the Force, according to the scanners Lord Malak gave us."

"Jolee Bindo," Nestor said with a nod. "And the other?"

"Another man," the lieutenant answered. "Black echani armor that has clearly been modified. Carries a blaster rifle in his hands, though there are two lightsabers attached to his belt."

"Revan." Nestor smirked. "This is my chance. Lead them into the sacred grove, where he slew the terentarek."

"Yes sir," the lieutenant replied.

He turned around to face his soldiers. "Stealth units, divert Revan's path away from the Star Map. Lead him to the grove," he ordered.

Nestor reached into his durasteel breast plate and drew his lightsaber out of the secret compartment. The Sith apprentice began walking towards the grove where he would soon confront the former Sith Lord and earn his master's respect.

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"Which way was the Star Map?" Revan asked, turning to face Jolee.

"Just up ahead," the older Jedi said jerking his head.

Revan stopped. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"What?" Jolee asked.

"HK-47, do your sensors detect anything?" the Jedi Master asked.

"Statement: There are several forms of insect life in this area as well as those obnoxious tach creatures."

"What is it?" Jolee asked as Revan began to scan the area.

His hand went to one of his lightsabers and he began walking further into the Shadowlands. Jolee and HK-47 followed, both with their hands on their weapons. "I remember this path," Revan declared as he bent down and ran a hand across a rock that had been burned by a lightsaber. He and Carth had been trapped in this corner. Jolee had been down and there had been an entire nest of kinrath attacking. His saber had burned this stone when he had stabbed through the mother kinrath.

"The map's just up here," he said.

He rounded a corner and instantly recognized the scratch marks from Freyyr's vibroblade when he had gone feral. He took another step forward and saw the map. He ran up and inspected it. "Damn," he muttered. The map had already been drained. It was exactly like the map on Tatooine.

"Query: Master, is that our wookiee companion?"

Revan turned around and looked at where HK-47 was pointing. "By the Force!" Jolee gasped. Revan's eyes went wide as he looked up at the hanging form that was above the Star Map. There was no mistaking it. It was Zalbaar. His fur was burned and covered in dry blood in several places. It looked as if he had been shot several times and hit with stun batons. It looked like he had survived it all though. It looked like he had been killed by the noose that was now around his neck.

"Zalbaar!" he screamed.

Using the Force, Revan leapt up onto the map and up to the tree branch Zalbaar's body was hanging from. He worked fast to untie the wookiee and let his body drop down to the ground. Jolee ran to inspect the body, muttering several comments about the Sith bastards and what he would do when he caught up to them.

"Revan!"

The voice shot clear through the Shadowlands. It had contained more mirth and sadistic pleasure than Revan could bear. He snapped. With pure rage driving his instincts, Revan grabbed both of his lightsabers and ignited them. He bolted out of the map's grove and vaulted over the hill that divided the two groves. He was now in the sacred grove of the Bacca, where he had fought with the sacred beast and laid down his life. He saw Malak's apprentice with his lightsaber drawn.

"At last," he began.

Revan didn't want to hear evil monologues. He didn't want to listen to lies about Zalbaar's death. He only wanted one thing. He wanted to kill.

It had been a long time since Revan had unleashed his full power on anyone, but now he didn't hold back. He leapt at the mandalorian and swung both of his shimmering blue sabers viciously. Nestor hadn't had much time to react. He brought his saber up just in time to block both of the sabers.

Revan unleashed the full fury of his Juyo/Jar Kai combo. His sabers moved with speed that the Sith apprentice had never seen before. Revan didn't kill him though. Each of his attacks grazed the mandalorian, inflicting more pain each time. Revan cut into his legs, his arms, his back, his chest, and his face before the mandalorian finally dropped his saber. In desperation, the Sith tried to throw a volley of Force lightning at his enemy. Revan ran straight through it. His robes burned away beneath the attack and his skin sizzled, but he didn't stop.

"Wait please!" Nestor cried.

"Revan stop!" Jolee screamed from the grove's entrance.

With a fierce roar, Revan drove his lightsaber through Nestor's body armor, liquefying his kidney as he went. He quickly withdrew the blade and sliced the Sith apprentice's head from his shoulders.

Jolee watched the former Sith Lord anxiously; fearful of what he would do next. If Revan had truly fallen back to the dark side, he would be able to overpower the older Jedi without much difficulty. To Jolee's relief Revan closed down his saber.

The former Sith Lord turned back to his friend and stared at him with cold eyes; cold acid colored eyes.


End file.
